After winning the starting job over Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater this summer, the No. 3 overall pick made his debut Monday night against the Lions. The Jets lost the coin toss, but the Lions deferred, giving Darnold a chance to shake off the nerves by getting under center immediately.

Consider the nerves shaken off. On the very first snap from scrimmage, Darnold faked a handoff, rolled out to his right, and then decided to loft a floater to the other side of the field where Lions defensive back Quandre Diggs was waiting. Diggs picked off the pass and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Lions a very early 7-0 lead and providing Darnold with the worst possible start to his career.

This looks like a Jets quarterback all right:

On the bright side, Darnold just joined a very exclusive club that includes a Hall of Famer. So, he’s got that going for him.

Since 1991, Sam Darnold is the third QB to have his first NFL pass attempt intercepted and returned for